Illam Restaurant in Harrogate

Delicious food and a lovely menu. Very good service, comfortable surroundings and staff were polite and attentive. Food was very nicely presented, good sized portions and tasted delicious. I had the vegetarian main dish which had lots of vegetables with lovely fresh flavours in a tasty sauce. This sort of dish can often be a bit bland but it was delicious. Would highly recommend, a lovely evening.

My partner and I celebrated her birthday here, and it was an unforgettable experience. From the moment we walked in, the ambiance was warm and inviting, with soft lighting that set the perfect romantic tone. The staff went above and beyond . Adil is the best who take care of us.to make the evening special, even surprising us with a cake for the occasion. The food was absolutely exquisite—each dish was beautifully presented and bursting with flavor. We especially loved beef varathiyathu with porotta and also the seafood platter. The wine selection was excellent and paired perfectly with our meal. Thank you for making her birthday so memorable and can’t wait to return!"

We had the pleasure of dining on south indian food from illam, and it was an absolutely wonderful experience! every dish was bursting with traditional flavours.the spices were well balanced and the use of fresh ingredients really stood out. the service was warm and prompt,adding to the overall experience. the portion sizes were generous and the food was reasonably priced. illam is a must-visit for anyone craving authentic south indian flavours. we'll definitely be coming back for another meal soon!

We visited on a Friday evening .On our arrival the welcome wasn’t particularly friendly and we were seated at a table right in front of the bar which wasn’t ideal considering other tables were available. We ordered our food and some wine. Starters came they were nicely presented and tasty.Sadly half way through mine I nearly swallowed a hair.I removed it from my mouth and placed it on a napkin.A member of staff came over and asked what was the problem I told him and he went back into the kitchen with the napkin.About four members of staff returned one of them with a banana leaf and the napkin he protested that the hair on the napkin was indeed a banana leaf fibre .I agree that there was banana leaf in the food which I was happily eating but the hair got stuck in my throat and was clearly what I said it was.The staff member then removed a fibre from the banana leaf and placed it beside the hair on the napkin still protesting it was the same.I simply picked the banana fibre up and snapped it into pieces very easily.I tried to do the same to the hair and surprise surprise it wouldn’t break making it now totally obvious beyond doubt it was a hair.Then unbelievably instead of an apology they said they wouldn’t charge me for the starter and would I like my main course now.My wife and I had total had enough.I insisted on paying in full and we left on the way out I told the man behind the bar that they had totally ruined our evening and we would never return .He simply kept saying banana leaf banana leaf .This was totally unprofessional and unnecessary all they had to do was apologise and replace the starter.

The food is fantastic. If you like fish and spicy food then this is the place to go! The service is brilliant and Maria looked after us so well!

Fantastic restaurant, great service, exceptionally tasty food, it was so good we ate there again the next day. This was the first time we have had keralean food , highly recommend this restaurant.

We have been here twice and ordered different choices off the menu. Both times the food has been exceptional in terms taste. Forget your traditional Indian, this MUST be tried.

Beautiful food this evening - magnificent flavours and everything was really clean and fresh. We are here for my dad’s 93rd birthday - and will be back. The staff are so attentive but not in your face. And a special thank you to Maria for looking after me and advising due to my allergy. Would really recommend - not just great food and service but a buzzing feel about it too. Oh and thanks for making dad’s birthday special with his free desert and for singing happy birthday. You made his night

Best Indian food we've ever had. Staff suggested dishes and we're really friendly. Fair prices. Good night out. Well done team 👏

I really enjoyed this southern Indian restaurant on a recent visit to Harrogate. The wait staff were very friendly and helpful, explaining the menu and ensuring that we didn’t over order. The starters were generous and the chicken dosa was delicious. We shared a thali platter as a main course which gave a good overview of the flavours of southern Indian cuisine. Would highly recommend to anyone passing through Harrogate.

The modest facade of this restaurant, and the reduced menu, from usual Indian restaurants, belies the excellence within. We passed many times then when plans changed we filled in our last night in Harrogate, if it had been our first night we would have returned each night as all the dishes on offer sounded delicious and you can only eat a few. We had a Massala Dosa, we asked for small as a starter it was beyond wonderful also the Idivettu Irachi, Lamb as you have never eaten before. Followed by Seafood Manga Curry and Malabar Attirachi Curry, the depth of the sauce was divine, layer upon layer of spices perfectly blended. Dish of the day for me was the Manga Curry which i couldn't stop dipping the paratha into despite being full to the brim of gorgeous food. The service was excellent and we went on a night when the entire restaurant had been taken over by a very large group (Thank goodness for Internet booking!) Every one of the staff members stopped for a chat and always with a smile. it would be worth returning to Harrogate just to go back to this delightful restaurant.

Found this place last night, but already had a booking somewhere else. We should’ve cancelled that so we could have come here twice!! The food and service was amazing. Very much recommend this place

Absolutely delicious Indian food especially the Dosa which was a real taste of India, can highly recommend any to visit

Our first visit but it won't be our last. Though we both like a good curry, authentic Indian food is in a class of its own, and Illam is in another class altogether. Don't visit here expecting what you're used to, the dishes are very different. But if you like good, tasty food you won't be disappointed. For starters, my wife had the Muringa soup, which was full of flavour, and I had the Kunji chat - a cold dish which I could have quite happily had as a main course afterwards, it was that scrummy. (One of my favourite Indian restaurants in London is the Diwana Bhel Poori in Drummond Street. They have a host of cold, delicious options which is why I went for this one and it was every bit as tasty, if not more.) We both went for the same lentil curry as a main, and that was also delicious. I've never had Appam bread before - rice and coconut milk pancakes - but, again, it was a perfect accompaniment. Not only was the food scrummy (and, in this day and age with soaring costs for restaurants, reasonably priced), the staff were so lovely that they enhanced even further what was already a great experience. We live north of Ripon and are not in Harrogate that often, but the Illam would certainly encourage us to come back - and hopefully in the near future.

Absolutely delicious Indian food especially the Dosa which was a real taste of India wished we lived closer as we would be here every week

Different to any Indian I have been to, food strange but nice staff excellent. Really nice atmosphere, my biryani was nothing like I am used to very dry lots of rice but nice, service was quick and well Priced

We had heard very positive things about this restaurant so were very excited to finally visit, and we weren’t disappointed on arrival we were made to feel very welcome the service was attentive and the food outstanding a real wow we can’t wait to return. This is a real gem in harrogate.

My faith in having a lovely meal out has been restored. The poppadoms not your usual but nice. All 4 of us ordered different. And all 4 meals didn't disappoint. Our table was upstairs and lacked a bit of atmosphere to begin with but on leaving it was vibrant. The staff work extremely hard but still friendly and professional. Something of a premium these days. Will be returning.

Excellent service and very friendly and knowledgeable staff. Food is interesting and varied. Squid rings were lush and plentiful and both the prawn and seabass curries were very nice indeed. Paratha was flaky a d sweet which we had not seen before. Not keen on the chutneys to go with the poppadom mix but I think we are just used to mango or cucumber! The place doesn't look much from the outside but don't let that put you off. This place is really special.

Amazing service Awesome flavours and wide variety. Good sized portions. Reasonably priced. Good location. Lots of veg options. Highly recommended!

Great service and excellent food. The whole team are exceptional and very attentive. ( particularly Maria on our last visit)

We were welcomed into the Illam restaurant by a very efficient staff member who guided us upstairs to our table. The decor was lovely and fresh with a very nice far east feel. All of the staff were very attentive without being intrusive. Our drinks order was taken quickly. The service was excellent, the staff member was very informative and ensured we didn’t over order, as we would have done, with our usual choice of Indian fare. we thoroughly enjoyed seeing the vast variety of dishes on the menu. So much choice, very new combinations of flavours offered. We all chose different dishes deliberately so we could share and give our different opinions. We were advised not to order more than one poppadum between four, believe me it was enough to sample the dips which were tangy , fruity and flavourful. Starters are huge so bring your appetite. Mains are all very different, I chose the Thali which is a tasting platter of many different types of dishes served with rice and breads. Do not expect to see anything that would be served from “any old Indian restaurant. “ This is a whole new phenomenon for your taste buds! These dishes are amazingly delicious and totally not what we expected from our usual curry night out. The variety of seafood offered is a pleasant surprise and was especially tasty. All of us definitely over ate, it was too good to waste anything. Definitely worth trying out, we will all be returning. A fantastic evening experience for us all.

Our first visit and not our last. Friendly prompt service and advice when selecting dishes. Generous portion sizes. Very different to the usual Indian restaurants. Shared the squid and lamb starters and the Seabass dish for main. First time trying the Appam bread, like a thin dosa. Superb food and so full of flavour.

First visit here and it won’t be my last. Absolutely superb food and friendly service. Different cuisine to the usual Indian staples - had the squid starter and the seafood manga curry for mains, which was excellent. It’s the best a Indian in Harrogate by a country mile.

Fantastic food. Gluten free options. I had the fish starter and sea bass main. Both were superb. This is the best Indian restaurant in Hartogate by far.

WOW! The food was quite simply incredible. We had the egg roast and the chilli prawns to share as starters. The prawns were so juicy and soft and the dip that accompanied them was light and delicate. The egg roast is actually a side dish but we wanted it as a starter as we have eaten it before. It was outstanding. So tasty packed with flavour. We then shared the fish baked in banana leaf - full of flavour and the fish cooked beautifully and cozy dosa. Again flavour packed and the pancake light and crispy. The staff are friendly and attentive without being intrusive and they took great interest in our opinion of the food. Reasonable priced good quality Sauvignon. Can’t wait to go again

Had the most amazing food. Very authentic and the staff were amazing. Deffinately one to try if you are in the area. Travelled 40 miles on a recommendation. Did nt disappoint.

Excellent service and fabulous food. Southern Indian menu which takes you away from the standard Indian style dishes. Pleasant atmosphere too.

Such wonderful food with such different vibes. We had a fantastic meal and the service was great, we were looked after by lovely Mariya who was friendly, smiley and happy to help. We will definitely return.

Walked in without booking on Valentine’s night. Friendly welcome and staff found us a table promptly. Chicken, fennel and cinnamon broth was so tasty. And then the buttered dosa arrived. It looked spectacular and was absolutely delicious as was the non veggie thali. More than enough for two hungry people. Thanks so much to Annualm for your great service, the red rose and such a fabulous dinner. We will definitely be back to try more of your menu.

Absolutely lovely meal so delicious different from run of the mill Indian staff so helpful and dishes so tasty definitely give it a go you won’t be disappointed

On a short break in Harrogate , and stumbled across this restaurant when looking for a place to eat. We ordered a South Indian Thali with my wife to share, and we were both given chicken soup which was the starter even though we only ordered 1x thali which was a very nice touch. The food was very nice and flavourful which is what South Indian cuisine is, and quite different to standard Indian and Pakistani restaurants. Thoroughly enjoyed it and a must visit if you like Indian food and staying in Harrogate. Also the staff are very friendly and helpful which all added to a very nice experience and visit

Called in on a Saturday and luckily for us a booking had cancelled so there was a table form us. Ammu was so kind, attentive and helpful to our party of 4. The food was delicious - fish platter as a started and seafood manga curry for main for me. Too busy eating and enjoying to take photos but would recommend and return in a heartbeat.

Goodbye pretenders, there’s a new winner in town. Everything from excellent value, quality food, to lovely service. Great to try southern Indian food.

Absolutely amazing South Indian restaurant. Authentic flavours . Service was amazing . Cannot recommend this restaurant enough . The portion sizes are large . Go hungry you won't be disappointed. 5 star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Really lovely restaurant- friendly and kind staff, gorgeous food and relaxed atmosphere- we will definitely be back! Thank you :)

We had dinner at illam this evening , it was absolutely stunning. The service in the restaurant I could not fault, all the staff were so kind and friendly, very attentive. Food was amazing, I really enjoyed everything, particularly the seafood platter. I would highly recommend you try this place!! I can’t wait to come back to try more of the menu.

omfg! THIS PLACE IS INCREDIBLE!! Wow! Totally blown away, thank you so much for tonight, you made it so special by being humble and your food of course. Beautiful, authentic and lovingly prepared indian food served by beautiful people smiling like they mean it... just amazing. Please just go and try it for yourself, you both deserve it.

Amazing food and service. A special experience at a very resonance price. Please open a restaurant in Chelmsford near where we live.

Fantastic service and delicious food, felt like something special, not your every day Indian restaurant. Have recommended to Friends and will return.

Delicious Keralan food. Just reading the menu was a delight. Loads of food envy looking at what other people were eating as the dishes all looked so beautiful and tasty. Busy even on a Monday night in January which says it all.

The food was very different from the 'typical curry'but it is great to try something new and all of our food was absolutely delicious! My husband had a sensational fish curry and I had the lamb one. The service was very friendly and attentive and...

Fabulous food. Not your typical Indian restaurant - something different and all very tasty! Would definitely recommend and will return soon.

This has to be the best restaurant in Harrogate. Newish in that it features South Indian food. The quality of the meal and the excellent service was such that we will return again.

Our first visit, but it certainly won’t be the last. We shared 2 starters, 3 mains and 3 sides between 3 hungry adults and we ended up bringing a takeout box home! We loved everything we tried but in particular the fish curry, paratha and...

Amazing. So refreshingly different to the “norm”. Great attentive staff who actually cared about their business. Be warned, Harrogate is very fickle….please keep up the standards and good work we enjoyed tonight and you soon be the GO TOO Indian of Harrogate.

I've had a lot of good Indian meals in my time, but this was outstanding. Everything deserves 5*, the food, service, decor. Illam is very highly recommended by me.

Thank you so much for taking us in after hours and cooked us the most delicious authentic southern Indian meal

Fancied something different to the standard Indian restaurant and delighted we chose this restaurant. From the moment we entered the service and professionalism of the staff was amazing. The manager talked us through the menu and helped us decide on our choices. The Sea Bass...

Fabulous new Indian restaurant in town. Very different from the usual Indian Bangladeshi style curry, no heavy spicy curry sauce, but lovey light, tasty dishes. We had a selection of dishes so we could share and try different ones. We had 2 dosas, 1 masala...

Harrogate has been waiting too long for South Indian food and Illam fills that gap perfectly. We were a group of five so we had a good selection from the menu and the dishes did not disappoint . The waitress was extremely helpful in explaining...

We booked a table last night and we were absolutely amazed at the flavours of authentic South Indian food this restaurant had to offer. Great ambience and excellent services from the lovely staff. We really enjoyed it and we highly recommend this restaurant.we will be...

We booked a few days beforehand and when we arrived we walked Ito a lovely warm restaurant and we were taken to our table which was upstairs. We sat and ordered drinks , the room was busy however it some became clear that most people...

Amazing food & staff.. lovely evening spent with friends, I’m sure this restaunte will be a huge success in Harrogate. Thank you !

Visited here as a group of friends. The menu sounded super tempting and we were excited to try it. So many things to choose from and everyone in our party loved every dish ordered. The food is packed with flavour, cooked to perfection and nicely...

What a gem!! The food is delicious, full of flavours. We definitely will be back to try other dishes and to enjoy the lovely atmosphere.

I noticed the restaurant a few weeks ago and put it on my list to try out. We rang today, hoping to get a table without having a previous reservation. The staff are very polite and we were luckily able to accommodate us. The food is outstanding, full of flavour and beautifully spiced (subtle heat that builds). You can taste the freshness of ingredients used. My husband chose the Thali special and I had the fish cooked in banana leaf - highly recommend! I have made a family booking for just after Christmas, that's how much I enjoyed it.

The service and meal was superb, beautifully cooked and presented, I would certainly return, the restaurant is ideally situated in Harrogate, the price of the drinks is very fair.

Fantastic hospitality, amazing food. Few words needed to sum up this new place - absolutely brilliant. Have to write 100 words when it only needs 3 - I’ll be back!

Beautifully presented and well cooked. Delicious flavours. The seafood starter was enough for 2… or maybe it was for 2 😂

South Indian restaurant in a different league to your standard British/Indian fare. We had the prawn Kumarakom Konju curry which has a subtle, slightly smoky coconut and tamarind sauce, and the aubergine Kathirika curry (aubergines cooked to perfection). Prices were reasonable given the portion sizes. Oh, and the parathas are _very_ moreish.